The boys were excited. They love Chicago. Ever since our spring break trip last year, they've talked about going back. There's something special about that city. I'm fairly sure that part of it is the obvious mass public transit system. As soon as we drive into the outskirts of Chicago where the Metra tracks criss-cross above the freeways, the boys begin to scream, "TRAINS!"
We had never been to Brian's apartment before, tucked away in north Chicago. It used to be kind of slummy, he explained. Then they fixed up the park across the street and renovated the school. It seems like a nice neighborhood now, just up the street from a mini-Chinatown, a train station, and several bus stops.
We only had two days and the boys wanted to see dinosaurs. Since the boys get to dictate everything we do (at least until they turn 18), we took a train to the Field Museum. The boys - Balin in particular - loved Sue. The both of them even managed to correctly identify her as a Tyrannosaurus Rex. They marveled at her six-inch teeth. They found posed bears, seals, and other animals downstairs and enjoyed the scenes laid out before them, particularly the beaver dam. For some reason, they both kept coming back to that one.
For dinner, Brian took us to a Korean chicken wing restaurant. Sound sketchy, I know, but the wings were wonderful. Robinson couldn't stop talking about them and even resolved to go back when we returned to Chicago! Brian was impressed with the boys' palates, saying that Byron's nephew is such a picky eater that he never tries anything new. Even Balin, who is a less adventurous eater than Arthur, must have eaten three gigantic wings.
My boys love a lot of things, but they adore parks. I think another reason they love Chicago is because there's a playground right across the street from Brian's apartment. They were cold from the wind, and yet they played until their faces were red and fingers were frozen.
It's funny how family relations change over time. My sisters and I used to see Brian a lot as kids. Then we grew up and became more indifferent about our families. Now that we are adults, it seems more important to reconnect with people, to share stories, and to enjoy their company.
Blessed be.
We had never been to Brian's apartment before, tucked away in north Chicago. It used to be kind of slummy, he explained. Then they fixed up the park across the street and renovated the school. It seems like a nice neighborhood now, just up the street from a mini-Chinatown, a train station, and several bus stops.We only had two days and the boys wanted to see dinosaurs. Since the boys get to dictate everything we do (at least until they turn 18), we took a train to the Field Museum. The boys - Balin in particular - loved Sue. The both of them even managed to correctly identify her as a Tyrannosaurus Rex. They marveled at her six-inch teeth. They found posed bears, seals, and other animals downstairs and enjoyed the scenes laid out before them, particularly the beaver dam. For some reason, they both kept coming back to that one.For dinner, Brian took us to a Korean chicken wing restaurant. Sound sketchy, I know, but the wings were wonderful. Robinson couldn't stop talking about them and even resolved to go back when we returned to Chicago! Brian was impressed with the boys' palates, saying that Byron's nephew is such a picky eater that he never tries anything new. Even Balin, who is a less adventurous eater than Arthur, must have eaten three gigantic wings.
My boys love a lot of things, but they adore parks. I think another reason they love Chicago is because there's a playground right across the street from Brian's apartment. They were cold from the wind, and yet they played until their faces were red and fingers were frozen.
It's funny how family relations change over time. My sisters and I used to see Brian a lot as kids. Then we grew up and became more indifferent about our families. Now that we are adults, it seems more important to reconnect with people, to share stories, and to enjoy their company.
Blessed be.
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